Annual Ottawa Senators development camp starts
In case you haven't heard, on Tuesday the Ottawa Senators started their annual development camp. Many of Ottawa's top prospects are attending the camp including Jared Cowen, who did only drills last year because of his leg injury, Robin Lehner, Ottawa's only goalie prospect who is going to be playing in Binghamton next year, and Patrick Wiercioch, who, according to Ian Mendes, "wouldn't have left school if (he) didn't think (he) had a legitimate shot to make the team". Also joining them will be all 4 of Ottawa's 2010 draft picks, bringing the total to 31 players attending the camp. The camp will last until July 5th.
Click here for the full roster of invites as well the drills and practices that will be occurring. The Mayor at Sens Town went to the first day, and offers his thoughts on certain players along with some photos of the action (Spoiler alert: He gave Brad Peltz player of the scrimmage honours).
More prospect news after the jump...
Other minor league news
Ottawa has extended qualifying offers to Binghamton forward Cody Bass and defenseman Geoff Kinrade, keeping them from becoming UFA's on Thursday. Bass had 11 points (5G/6A) in 57 games and Kinrade would score 27 points (7G/20A) and led Binghamtonin in +/- with -27.
The ECHL is going to look very different next season. The league voted last week to change the alignment of the divisions and starting next season the Jackals will be in the Atlantic Division with rivals the Reading Royals and Trenton Devils. No word on how this will effect the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
The Jackals also finished the Thomas Beauregard deadline trade with Glendale, by sending forwards Brendan Connolly and Maxime Gratchev and defenseman Wes Cunningham. Connolly had 26 points with the Jackals (12G/14A) in just 55 games, while Gratchev played 30 games in the AHL (in Rochester and Binghamton) and spent the rest of the season with the Jackals scoring 41 points (7G/34A) in 40 games. Cunningham netted 45 points (10A/35A) on the blue line as the highest scoring defensemen on the team. Thomas Beauregard would go on score 10 points (5 G/A) in the 14 games he spent in Elmira. Forward Bear Trapp was sent to Johnstown as part of the initial deal, where he scored 4 points (2 G/A) in just 11 games with the Chiefs.
